'Our client was just their to witness history and was not violent': Attorneys for MAGA rioter, 36, who stole Pelosi's lectern claim he's been 'misrepresented' as he's freed on $25K bail with a GPS tracker
The MAGA rioter who stole Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's lectern during violent protests at the Capitol last week was released on $25,000 bail on Monday - and his attorneys say he was in DC during the protest to 'witness history'.
Florida father-of-five Adam Christian Johnson, 36, who was photographed at Wednesday's chaotic riot walking out of the Capitol carrying Pelosi's lectern, was released from jail around 1pm on Monday.
He had been arrested Friday night on a federal warrant and was booked into jail in Pinellas County. He faces three counts of entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, theft of government property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
On Monday night Johnson’s lawyers David Bigney and Dan Eckhart were grilled by CNN host Chris Cuomo on Cuomo Prime TIme and they defended their client saying, 'You always can't judge a book by its cover.'
When Cuomo asked Eckhart why Johnson deserves his defense, he replied: 'You’ve got the photos and a lot of things on social media where they’re demonizing Mr. Johnson. It is really a mischaracterization.'
Adam Johnson, 36, who was photographed smiling and walking with Nancy Pelosi's $1,000 lectern during Wednesday's Capitol riot was released from jail on $25,000 bail Monday
On Monday night Johnson’s lawyers David Bigney and Dan Eckhart were grilled by CNN host Chris Cuomo and they defended their client saying, 'You always can't judge a book by its cover.' Bigney said Johnson was in DC to 'witness a little bit of history and that’s the extent of it'
Johnson pictured above in a Trump hat smiling and waving to cameras as he walks out of the Capitol building carrying Nancy Pelosi's $1,000 lecturn during Wednesday's riot
'He is a family man. His wife is a physician. He has five children. There is nothing in his background or his past that would attribute any type of violence or this type of rebellious behavior to him. It is an anomaly, an unusual situation for him,' he added.
Cuomo then challenged, 'So he is not part of some extremist group? He wasn’t part of an organized effort to get into the Capitol?'
'No, he certainly wasn’t. He was there to witness a little bit of history and that’s the extent of it,' Bigney said.
'He wasn’t involved in any coup. He wasn’t involved in any planning of any entering of the Capitol. Things got out of hand. You saw the pictures. He was not there for any destruction, any treason. He was just there to witness history,' Bigney added.
Cuomo noted how strange it was for Eckhart and Bigney, both high-flying lawyers, to defend Johnson in his case.
Bigney said: 'He's got his Constitutional right, we're here to defend him.'
He argued that the government likely did not see Johnson as a threat since he was allowed to be released from jail Monday.
'It's not because he's a threat to the country, it's not because he's a flight risk. If the government really thought he was part of some kind of coup, he'd probably be incarcerated right now,' Bigney said.
'He wasn’t involved in any coup. He wasn’t involved in any planning of any entering of the Capitol. Things got out of hand. You saw the pictures. He was not there for any destruction, any treason. He was just there to witness history,' Bigney (right) said to Cuomo
Johnson (in white) had been arrested Friday night on a federal warrant and was booked into jail in Pinellas County. He faces three counts of entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, theft of government property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds
Speaking to reporters after his release Johnson’s lawyers said that the photo of him with Pelosi’s lectern is a challenge for them. 'I’m not a magician…so yeah we’ve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property,' lawyer Daniel Eckhart said (left)
When asked if they were worried about the future of Johnson's case, the lawyers said they were confident they could defend Johnson.
'Well, we’re not worried because, Chris, this is the initial stage as you know. We just got him out today. There’s more to this story and you’ll be one of the first to know as the case evolves,' Eckhart said.
Johnson has not yet entered a plea to the charges, which were filed in Washington.
The lectern he was seen carrying was later found on January 7 by a member of the Senate staff in the Red corridor of the Senate wing off the Rotunda in the Capitol building. It is worth more than $1,000, according to the House of Representatives' curator.
Under the conditions of his release, Johnson is forced to wear a GPS tracker on his ankle, must abide by a 9pm to 6am curfew, surrender his passport and firearms, and is restricted from traveling outside Central Florida.
Speaking to reporters after his release Johnson’s lawyers said that the photo of him walking out of the Capitol building smiling and waving to cameras with Pelosi’s lectern is a challenge for them.
'I don’t know how else to explain that, but yeah that would be a problem,' Eckhart said.
Adam Johnson, 36, was arrested by federal marshals in Florida on Friday and was held in Pinellas County Jail until his Monday release according to arrest records
'I’m not a magician…so yeah we’ve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property,' he added according to WFLA.
Speaking to CNN later that night, Eckhart said on the magician comment: 'I made a mistake during the initial questioning where ...I said something to the effect of "I’m not a magician meaning we can’t make that evidence disappear."'
'This is a serious case. Everyone involved in the storming of the Capitol last week needs to be held accountable for their actions, including Mr. Johnson,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Scruggs said at the Monday hearing, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The Daily Mail's exclusive photos show Johnson returning home about 5pm Monday in a Porsche SUV with his two lawyers, Daniel Eckhart and David Bigney.
Clean shaven and sporting shoulder-length hair, Johnson wore a white T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops as if he'd just spent a day at the nearby beach.
He did, however, sport a GPS tracker on his left ankle, a condition for his release until a court hearing in Washington, DC, on January 19, on the day before the Joe Biden inauguration.
Emotional return home: Exclusive photos show Johnson returning home about 5pm Monday in a Porsche SUV with his two lawyers, Daniel Eckhart and David Bigney
Johnson wore a white T-shirt, dark shorts, flip flops and his ankle GPS tracker and carried a plastic bag as he arrived to his Parrish, Florida home
Home sweet home: As he walked sheepishly from the car to his $500,000-house in Parrish, Florida, a woman inside opened the door for him and Johnson became emotional when he saw her. After the lawyers left, Johnson refused to come to the front door.
Johnson is a psychology graduate turned furniture maker. He is married to a doctor and is currently a stay-at-home dad originally from Bradenton, Florida
A view of Johnson's $500,000 Parrish, Florida home above
Johnson carried a manilla envelope in one hand and a plastic bag with some of the belongings he took to the Pinellas County jail near Tampa.
As he walked sheepishly from the car to his $500,000-house in Parrish, Florida, a woman inside opened the door for him and Johnson became emotional when he saw her.
After the lawyers left, Johnson refused to come to the front door.
Johnson is a psychology graduate turned furniture maker who is currently a stay-at-home dad originally from Bradenton, Florida. His wife is a doctor, according to The Bradenton Herald.
Johnson is said to have traveled from Parrish in Manatee County, Florida to Washington DC on Wednesday to join the Stop the Steal rally seeking to block Congress from certifying the presidential election results. Photos on his now-deleted social media accounts show him posing next to a sign reading 'closed to all tours' inside the Capitol building
He shared these snaps on Facebook showing himself and other Trump supporters traveling to Washington DC to protest Congress' joint session to protest the election
Johnson shared this image of himself in a mob near the Capitol on his since-deleted Facebook page
He has previously faced possession of marijuana and violation of probation charges, the paper reports.
Johnson is said to have traveled from Parrish in Manatee County, Florida to Washington DC on Wednesday to join the Stop the Steal rally seeking to block Congress from certifying the presidential election results.
He documented the trip on Facebook, sharing photos at the airport and part of the DC crowds. Photos on his now-deleted social media accounts show him posing next to a sign reading 'closed to all tours' inside the Capitol building.
On his Facebook he also disparaged law enforcement and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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